Do You Remember?
by ceruleanfrost
Summary: At 25 years old, Ryoma Echizen has conquered Wimbledon. With tennis at the top of his goal, he plans to come back to Japan for intense training and hires a maid to keep his house in order. Neither one of them remember each other from their freshmen days. After all, it's been 13 years since they last had a conversation. Will they remember?
1. Ch 1

**A/N:  
Been meaning to write fics since forever, but I've never found time. It's spring break and I've got almost nothing to do, so here is my first ever fanfic! Happy reading, and reviews are always welcome. ^^**

"_Ryoma! Ryoma! Ryoma!" the crowd cheers as a young Japanese man raises his right arm, holding the Wimbledon cup. His father, the legendary Nanjiroh Echizen, smirks somewhere in the crowd of almost 3000 people, disguised as a homely monk. His mother thought of making the tennis player Japanese food that night, which was his favorite thing in the world. All was well for the young tennis star.  
A blonde-haired reporter approaches Ryoma Echizen, "Congratulations on your win, Ryoma. How does it feel to have conquered Wimbledon?"  
__"Thank you, miss. It feels exhilarating to have won…The players were great," was the cool reply. (Of course, Ryoma didn't really mean the bit about the players being great; in fact, he felt bored by the thing. However, his manager Oishi told him not to act so smug, as foreigners don't like to sponsor cocky athletes.)  
__"What are your plans after this?"  
__"I plan to go back to Japan right away and just practice until the next major tennis open starts."  
__"You just won the Wimbledon tournament, for crying out loud! You're going back to play more tennis? Do you not take any breaks?" the reporter jokes.  
__"…I guess it's just who I am," he says after a few seconds of pause. "Tennis is in my blood."  
__The reporter laughs and congratulates the tennis star once again. The cameras cut and Ryoma is free to leave. In two hours, he'll be heading on a flight to Japan._

* * *

"Tomo-chan, where do you think I can get a job? Studying to be a chef is pretty hard and expensive," I sighed, as I scroll through the 23rd page of job listings online.  
"Maybe a part-time maid? Some people need help with cleaning and cooking out there. I mean, everybody seems to be busy nowadays. And your classes are at night, right?" Tomoka, my best friend, advised.  
"Hmm, that sounds ideal, I guess," I respond. With that in mind, I type "part-time maid" into the search bar of the site. About 3 results came up. Two of them requires being a maid overnight. As Tomo-chan mentioned, my classes are during this time, so I wouldn't have been able to do the jobs anyway. The third posting was only put up on the site an hour ago. Maybe I still had a chance. The listing said:

**WANTED: PART-TIME MAID**

_You must be able to clean, do the laundry, feed a pet cat, and most importantly, be able to cook Japanese food._ _  
The pay is 2500 yen per hour and the owner is very flexible with the hours set. He only needs somebody to take care of the house, and will be outdoors almost every day.  
For further information, please contact: _**Shuichiro Oishi, (183) 284-1737**

"Oishi-senpai?" I wondered aloud. Tomo-chan heard me and instantly looked at the ad over my shoulder.  
"Why does Oishi-senpai need a maid? He's living with Eiji-senpai and both of them are doing well already," she muses, bewildered like I am. Ah, well, I need a job, and pronto. I guess I'll just go along with it. If it's Oishi-senpai, I'm sure he has a good reason.

* * *

Last night, I called Oishi-senpai to check if the position is still open. He was surprised that I called him about the job, since he thought that I still worked at the old burger joint as a cashier. I told him that business was too slow and that the pay wasn't enough, which is why I quit. I also told him that my classes are now in the evenings (I used to work at the fast-food restaurant during the night shift) and so I wouldn't be able to do both. Oishi-senpai must have covered the mouthpiece after I said this, because I heard a short conversation, though the sound was stifled by something. Oishi-senpai apologizes for the wait, and tells me to meet him at the house to meet the owner and settle some things, but the job is pretty much mine already, since he's recommended me to the owner. I felt relieved and nervous about the whole thing; I mean, what if the owner didn't like me? What if I didn't like the owner? A lot of questions kept me up until 1 in the morning. I always worry about the weirdest things.


	2. Ch 2

**A/N:  
Well, I feel like writing more tonight, so I'll post two chapters. Yay. Happy reading! ^^**

* * *

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_ With each screech, the alarm sounded louder. Groggily, I woke up from my 5 hour sleep. Last night, I had been a nervous wreck, worrying about the job interview today. Even though Oishi-senpai had basically guaranteed I'd get the position because I was the first to respond to the job offering, and because Oishi-senpai knows I'll do well, I was still pretty nervous. I get the sense that something big is going to happen between me and my future boss, though I'm not sure if it's positive.

With my feet covered by the fuzzy bunny slippers Eiji-senpai gave me for Christmas, I shuffled to the kitchen, where I made myself instant noodles and a cup of coffee. I plopped down on my favorite armchair in the house-a floral recliner close to the window-and turned on the TV to watch the morning news.

_Ryoma Echizen, Japanese tennis player, wins the Wimbledon Tournament against Eleazar Hobuchnik from Sweden in an intense five-set match. _

Ryoma Echizen? That name sounds familiar, not because he's a famous athlete, but... I shake my head and turn off the TV before I see the newscaster's face being replaced by a clip of this Japanese athlete. After all, I had the interview to worry about.

After cleaning up, I take a shower and made sure to scrub all over my body. I even used the bath oil Fuji-senpai gave to me on my birthday, making sure I look (and smell) presentable for this interview.

I made my way to the closet and spent roughly half an hour trying to pick out an outfit to wear. Should I be more casual? Professional? Cute? I settled on a short-sleeved, pink chiffon blouse paired with 3/4 jeans, a pair of black high-top sneakers, and simple stud earrings. I braided my hair down my back and put on a bit of makeup, as well as dabbed on a few spritzes of a high-end perfume, which Tomo-chan received as a gift, but she did not want it.

Not wanting to be late (or get lost, as I often do), I bus to the cafe in which I am supposed to meet Oishi-senpai and my future employer.

I hope everything goes well.


	3. Ch 3

**A/N:  
Oh wow. I didn't expect people to read it right away. :O Thanks for the reviews, guys! As for LadyAiria's question: "How did Sakuno forgot Ryoma?" I decided that Sakuno forgets Ryoma because it would lengthen the fic, as well as allow more room for the two of them getting to know each other again. You'll see! But for now, I'll say that Sakuno had not heard from Ryoma at all after he left, and that the two of them simply just drifted apart and moved on with their lives.  
Anyways, happy reading! (I'll try to finish the fic at the end of the week.)**

_Oh, no. I've done it again. I, Sakuno Ryuzaki, have once again got lost. I am now fifteen minutes late, and my future boss is sitting there with Oishi-senpai (who is probably making excuses for me being tardy) and I am making a bad impression! Most importantly, I don't have a clue where I am! Oh, what am I going to do?! _

I wandered around aimlessly, hoping to find the right bus stop that would take me to the cafe. If I hadn't been pushed by that redheaded guy wearing that yellow and brown tank top, I wouldn't have gotten lost. He did say sorry, but...

I sigh, knowing that blaming him wouldn't help the fact that I'm lost and eighteen minutes late. I looked at the ground as I walked, and suddenly, I bumped into somebody. We both said "Ow!" at the same time and looked up. He was wearing a white cap with an "R" monogrammed in the center. He was wearing a plain red shirt with dark cargo shorts. His clothes fit him nicely-he was pretty toned, after all. But his eyes... They were like the blood of the gods-golden. For a second, I saw something twinkle back there, but I think I might have been wrong, since it turned ice cold all of a sudden.

"Watch where you're going. Your hair is too long," and with that, the gold-eyed boy smirked.  
"...Gomennasai," I offered, though I don't think he would accept it so easily.  
"Hn. Do you know where I can find the Cherry Blossom Cafe?"  
"Ah, I'm actually going there, too..."  
"Okay, I'll follow you."  
"Eh?! Um, I'm lost..."

He frowns at me for a bit. I don't blame him, since I'm also internally frowning at myself, underneath the layers of blushing from embarrassment. Then, he says, "Well, see ya." and walks away, hands in pockets and cap down low. Desperate for help with directions, I rush after him, speaking as loudly as I could, "H-hey! Wait a minute! Can I come with you? I have a meeting there and I'm late! It's really important, so please hear me out!"

The guy stops walking and looks back at me, who is tired of running and is now panting, trying to suck in as much air as possible. I only heard a sigh from him, then he starts walking again. I guess he didn't want to help me out, after all... I guess I'll go apologize to Oishi-senpai when I get home. I started to saunter in the other direction when I heard the guy say, "Well? Are you coming?". Immediately, I follow after him.

* * *

The walk was quiet. I was now an hour late behind schedule, so I doubt Oishi-senpai and my boss would still be there. They'd probably gone home to find another maid by now, but I kept on walking with the stranger because I sense that I knew him before, but I just don't remember, and that I had this irrational hope that I'll still get that maid job.

Silence is deafening, and I mustered up the courage to ask, "So... What is your name?" without sounding creepy.  
"Ryoma Echizen," said he, who is now not a nameless 'he', but is now a Ryoma Echi-_WAIT WHAT?!_

"Ryoma... Echizen?" I couldn't believe it. "Didn't you just win the Wimbledon-"  
"Shh! I'm here to train, remember?" all of a sudden, he was tense, though other people might not have noticed at all. I only knew because he tugged the brim of his cap a little lower, so that I couldn't see his eyes anymore. "Please don't go yelling out my name. I don't want people to find me."  
"... Sumimasen," is the only answer I could give him.

The silence continued.

* * *

Ten minutes afterward the incident, we reached the cafe. We both went inside, and some wind chimes by the door sounded. I scanned the room for Oish-senpai, and oddly enough, he was sitting _alone_ by a window drinking tea.  
"Ah! Sumimasen, Oishi-senpai! I am so sorry to have made this impression. Please forgive me!" I bowed three times, and was about to bow again when he says, somewhat apologetically, "Oh, Sakuno-chan! It's okay. The person who wants to hire you has not come yet, either. I think he overslept again..."

"Oishi-senpai," remarked Ryoma Echizen. "Where is the girl who is supposed to be my-" he looked at me. "Are you...the maid?"  
"...You're my future boss?"

We stared at each other for what seemed like an hour, and Oishi-senpai broke the silence. "You two must know each other, then? Sakuno Ryuzaki, Ryoma Echizen." He gestured at me, and then at Ryoma-san.

I'm in shock, partially paralyzed. He must think awfully of me now, especially since I was an hour late to our meeting! Then again, so was he...

"Er, so..." at the moment, I wasn't able to properly form coherent sentences.  
"Hn. You start tomorrow." and then he left.  
"Oishi-senpai?" I said, puzzled. "He's... the tennis star who just won Wimbledon, right?"  
"Yeah, the one and only. He's kind of quiet, so I don't think he'll bother you much. Oh, and you're going to be living with him. Will that be ok? You'll have a separate room and he'll give you a budget for your own groceries, so it should be fine. He'll be out training most of the time, too, so you'll have the entire house to yourself almost everyday. I can help you move your stuff tomorrow if you want?"  
"I already live in an apartment, though..."  
"His house is closer to your cooking classes, which are extremely far away from where you live now, right?"  
"Demo-"  
"Ryoma requested that the maid stays with him. It's not like you're a couple or anything."

"H-hai."

My new job should be interesting...

* * *

**A/N: (Again!)  
Aah, sorry about this. It's 2 am and I couldn't sleep. So, if this is bad, I'm so sorry. /bows/ More chapters to come! **


	4. Ch 4

**A/N:  
Again, thank you for all the reviews! RyoSaku moments to come soon! Sorry for making you wait. ^^" **

Ever since I met my boss at the cafe, all of my body functions turned into a jittery nervous system. For the last hour, I've tried sipping on chamomile tea from obaa-san, but the calming tea did nothing to alleviate my worries. It just made me feel a little sleepy. I did what any girl would do at a situation like this, which is to call my best friend. Our conversation went something like this:

"Moshi-moshi. Sakuno-chan! How did the meeting go? Is your new employer a hot single guy? Or is he an old pervert? Even if he's rich, you shouldn't work for him if he's a pervert, you know," Tomo-chan rambled like this for a bit.  
"Ah, Tomo-chan! I was late for my interview," I admitted, cringing at the memory of that walk.  
"Sakuno... You didn't get lost again, did you?"  
"A-ano..."  
"Oh, Sakuno... So does that mean you're not hired anymore? It doesn't matter. They just lost a good maid! There are other jobs out there, and employers out there that would be happy to—"  
"Tomoka! Wait. No, the thing is..."  
"What's wrong?"  
"I was late... And then I met a guy—"  
"OOH! SO _THAT'S_ WHY YOU WERE LATE?!" I could hear the wide grin on Tomo-chan's face.  
"No! Not like that, Tomo-chan. But long story short, that guy turned out to be my boss. We were both late."  
"SO IS HE _CUTE_ OR _HOT_?"  
"Tomo-chan, please let me finish."  
"Sorry, sorry. Of course I'd get excited when my best friend finds someone she might like," and with that, Tomo-chan starts giggling.

At that moment, I was contemplating whether or not I should tell her that my boss is the Wimbledon winner Ryoma Echizen, but I decided against it. For now, I only told her that I needed her help to pack up.

"Sure, Sakuno. I'll be over there in half an hour, ok? Bye!"  
"Thank you. Sorry for bothering you... Bye."

Some time later, Tomo-chan arrived at my house and helped me pack all of my clothes into two luggage bags and a suitcase. I was amazed by how well she's managed to compress my clothes and make them fit into the bags. We placed my things into three medium-sized boxes. Aside from some furniture, my apartment looks empty. After all, I didn't own a lot of things. Oishi-senpai said that tomorrow morning, when he picks me up, movers will come to my apartment and take all the furniture to be delivered to my obaa-san's house, and my grandmother can do anything she pleases with it.

After that, Tomoka hugged me and told me to call her whenever something is wrong She'll come running to the house and even fight my boss if he was giving me a hard time. I laughed and cried simultaneously, but I don't remember why. Maybe it's because my new house is all the way on the other side of the city and I won't get to see my best friend as much since she's too busy with other things. We promised to call each other often and see each other at least once every two weeks. I gave her the address of the new house and told her to call me if she wants to visit.

Then she left. I'm going to miss her, but something tells me that I'll be calling her more often than usual.


	5. Ch 5

At last, I arrived at my new home. It was a typical Japanese temple. There was a huge, rusty bell on top of some sort of pedestal, and a tennis court close to it, though the lines of the court were faded. It was simpler than I had imagined; I had thought that because Ryoma-san is a tennis player, he would live in a mansion. For some reason, though, I felt that this simple home suits him more; it's quiet. To be honest, I think that I like this better than a palace. I guess Tomo-chan was right about me not wanting to be the princess. Heh.

* * *

"Sakuno, here is your room," Oishi-senpai tells me as he unlocks the door. It is a spacious room, though it was pretty dark. It smelled sort of dusty, too. On the windows hung thick, velvet curtains; the floor is wooden. In the middle of the room is a queen-sized bed, though there were no bed sheets or covers on them. There was also a desk, a bookshelf, and a full-body mirror, but aside from those, there was no other furniture. Opposite the windows was a tiled bathroom with enough room for a shower. I smiled inwardly, relieved that I get my own bathroom.

"Sorry about this, Sakuno. Echizen hasn't come home in a long time, and that's why the rooms aren't taken care of as well as it should be. I'm really sorry about all the cleaning you have to do," Oishi-senpai says.  
"It's okay, Oishi-senpai. It's my job anyway, right?" Then, at that moment, both of us heard a scratching on the door. As soon as Oishi-senpai swung the door open, a fluffy cat with a dark face and paws strutted in, meowing.

"Karupin!" Oishi-senpai called. "This is Echizen's cat, Karupin. The two of them are really close, you know. Karupin will keep you company when Echizen's out." He said this as he petted the blue-eyed cat. I smiled at Karupin. He's an adorable little one. "I think I won't be so lonely anymore, Oishi-senpai," I said.  
"I hate to leave you, Sakuno, but Eiji and I have an appointment today. Will you be alright?" he asks guiltily, though I can see in his eyes that he really has to go to this appointment.  
"Hai, Oishi-senpai. I'll do just fine." I flash him a grin.  
"Here are the keys. Well, I'm off!"

Now, it was only Karupin and I left in the building.

* * *

Not wanting to waste time, I immediately got down to business. I _had_ to clean my new room. A messy room doesn't sit well with me. The first thing I did was take those velvet curtains down. The sunlight poured in the room, and now I could see that it was painted a pale pink. _Perfect_, I thought. I replaced the velvet curtains (which I put away and hid in the closet) with my own translucent floral ones. I dusted, vacuumed, wiped the windows and mirrors clean, and settled in, humming a little song, like I always do when I clean. I got lost in my own thoughts, sweeping away, and I hadn't noticed Ryoma-san standing at the door, holding Karupin. I have no idea how long he's been there.

"A-ah, Ryoma-san? Do you need anything?" I asked. He just stood there, looking at me. I shifted uncomfortably, not sure of what to do. "Ryoma-san?"  
"I'm going. Ja." and then he stalked off to who-knows-where.

_Weird_, I thought. My boss seems so cold... I sighed and stood back to observe my accomplishments. My room looked more like home now. I had asked Oishi-senpai earlier if I could keep my favorite armchair, which now sits in front of a window, basking in the sunshine. The view outside my window is beautiful: cherry blossom trees in full bloom. My bed now has bed sheets and a comforter, as well as four pillows arranged two on each side. I put a little fluffy rug in the bathroom, and fixed my toiletries. A couple of pictures now hang on the once empty walls. My clothes have already been sorted in my closet. I smiled, proud that I finished this in four hours.

I glanced at the clock—it was 4:27 already. I better start making dinner.

* * *

I was playing with Karupin in the living room when Ryoma-san came home. Dinner that night was miso soup and curry rice. It wasn't much; I don't think Ryoma-san has done any grocery shopping yet.

"Oi," he mutters, and Karupin jumps from my lap and hops into Ryoma's arms. "What's for dinner?"  
"Dinner's in the kitchen. It's miso soup and curry rice."  
"Ok." My my, Ryoma-san sure isn't a man of words. He strolled to the kitchen, taking a grape Ponta on the way to the stove. He disappeared behind the door frame, and I looked down at my lap.

"Oi," he says again, and I look up. He was holding a can of Ponta on one hand and a bowl of curry rice on the other. "You should cut your hair. It's too long," he suggests, hints of a smirk playing on his lips. I would have frowned, because I was particularly fond of my long hair, but since he was my boss, I didn't want to offend him. It's only 7 pm, but cleaning the house top to bottom, cooking dinner, and settling into this new house suddenly took its toll on me. I felt my eyelids drooping, and so I excused myself to bed. He nods, and I leave Karupin and Ryoma-san in the living room.

I remember changing into my night clothes, but I don't remember my head hitting the pillow last night.


	6. Ch 6

My alarm sounded at 6:30 am. It's a good thing I didn't have classes last night. I was so tired that for a second I was tempted to crawl back to bed. However, I heard the sound of a tennis ball bouncing against my wall. Peeking from the curtain window, I found Ryoma-san practicing. He was sweating and the sun was only rising. _Wow. No wonder he won Wimbledon, _I thought. His form was amazing. Realizing I was staring at him for too long, I quickly closed the curtain. My heart was beating too fast. I told myself to calm down. There was no way on earth and beyond that I had a crush on my boss, right?

I tried clearing my head, but I kept seeing him in my mind's eye. His form. His muscles. The passion burning in his eyes as he hits the ball. Amazing. I was so distracted that I almost burnt the omurice I was making for breakfast. Thank goodness I snapped out of it before the egg stuck to the pan. I heard him enter, and my face flushed. I realized that I was still in my pajamas.

"Hn?" I guess that was his way of asking why I'm clad in such a getup.  
"Ohayou, Ryoma-san!" I tried my best to wave off this embarrassment.  
"What's your name?" he asks. I thought I had already introduced myself to him, but I felt the need to respond.  
"Sakuno Ryuzaki."  
"Ryuzaki?" he utters quietly. I waited to see if he's going to tell me something, though he just stopped talking after he said my name.

When he said nothing, I smile, as I hand him the plate of omurice, hoping to coax some conversation out of him. I'm getting pretty lonely. The phone company is only hooking up my phone this afternoon, and so I hadn't talked to Tomoka yet. Seeing that he's not the talkative type of person, I shuffle off to my room, took a shower, and changed into decent clothes.

I braided my hair into two pigtails, which I hadn't done in a while, ever since some boy back in middle school kept fiddling with it. I forgot his name, though he looks really similar to Ryoma-san...

Thinking that my boss was already out of the house, I dug up my old tennis racket, a ball with a doodle of a boy who looks like a chibi Ryoma-san, and headed out to hit tennis balls at the wall. I was a tennis regular at my old school. I'm nowhere near as good as my obaa-san, though she helped me train a lot.

_Thwack! Thwack!_ The ball sounded. It feels good to be able to do this. I've always liked tennis.  
"Bend your knees more, Ryuzaki," Ryoma-san's voice sounded behind me. He scared me a little, and so I missed the ball. He caught it between his fingers, as if it was nothing.  
"Er, Ryoma-san? I thought you were already out of the house..."  
"I don't have training today."  
"Oh."  
"You play tennis?"  
"A little bit, yeah."  
"Wanna play?" he smirks. _What? Why would you, a tennis pro, ask me to play tennis? WITH YOU? _Those were the words that flew everywhere in my mind. I examined the ground, hoping it will swallow me up and save me from embarrassing myself even more.

Ultimately, I agreed. He is my boss, after all. Determined to get at least a point past him, we played one match, though at first he wanted to play one set. Telling him that I'm not very good, we settled for one match, though Ryoma-san didn't look too happy with that.

I played against him as well as I could, though the score is now 40-love. It's his match point, and I have no points. I was ready to give up. He's just too good at this. I glanced at him, probably smirking at how terrible his opponent is. I was surprised that I saw him _smiling_ at me, like he's enjoying the game. I took this with a grain of salt. After all, he was probably enjoying winning against me.

Obviously, he won. I scored no point. I walked back to the house, ready to change, when he runs up to me and asks me where I got that ball from.  
"It's from back when I was a freshman, I think. Why?"  
"I have the same one. A girl gave it to me before I left Japan." Ryoma-san runs to his room and comes back after two minutes.  
"See?" he holds up a tennis ball with the same doodle of a boy in a cap, except this ball looks cleaner and less used than mine. I was busy figuring it out, when I saw Ryoma-san's eyes widen in realization. He looked at my braids and his eyes grew bigger. "You're the girl who stepped onto the court when I injured my eye playing against Shinji Ibu!" And then it also dawned on me. He's the guy I had a crush on when I was a freshman in middle school! "Ryoma-kun?" I wondered.  
"Heh," he smirks triumphantly, proud to have been the first one to remember out of the two of us.

This is only the second day and things are already complicated.


	7. Ch 7

**A/N:  
Been busy lately! Super sorry about that. More RyoSaku to come; thanks for the reviews! :)**

So... My boss is not only a Wimbledon winner, but was also my crush from thirteen years ago. Ever since then, I'd forgotten about him, though I don't know how. My feelings for him then were pretty obvious. So obvious, that the senpais teased me about it a lot. Tomo-chan and Horio-kun even tried to set me up with him once. How did I forget?

But I'm certainly glad I remember.

There is a box that I've yet to unpack. This box has remained unopened for a long time; it's been closed since I moved away from my obaa-san's house. I forget what's inside, but for some reason, I've always kept that box.

Grabbing a sharp pen, I tore through the masking tape that sealed the top of the box. Inside is a bunch of photo albums, letters, and a framed picture. I wiped the dust off the picture using my sleeve and...

_It was a picture of me and Ryoma-kun. _

Then it clicked. It was the day Seigaku went to Taka-san's sushi bar to celebrate after our school won. A brunette tennis-reporter took this picture by accident. I remember the reporter running up to me a week later and handing me a copy of this picture.

I stared at the red-framed picture and wiped away the rest of the dust surrounding it. Luckily, there was a spare hook on the wall. It's now hanging up on my room.

Feeling tired, I went to sleep.

* * *

**Ryoma's POV**

Karupin woke me up today. I glanced at the clock—it's already 8:45 in the morning. I wonder if Ryuzaki's already awake.

I got changed and walked to the kitchen. Empty. She hasn't even cooked yet. I'm starving, too. I better go wake her up. Karupin tagged along with me.

I knocked on her door. There was no answer. Curious, I wiggled the door knob and found that it was unlocked.

Her room is so neat. I looked around, and found her still asleep on her bed. Not wanting to wake her up, I just stood there, waiting for her to realize that I'm starving. Or something. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little picture hanging on the wall. It was the two of us, back in middle school. I had an eye patch on, and then I chuckled quietly, remembering that I beat Shinji Ibu even with an injury. Heh.

Ryuzaki was still asleep. _When will she wake up? _

Beside the armchair in her room stood an opened box. _Well, she's still asleep. I guess she wouldn't mind it if I peeked around a bit. _I found a bunch of old photo albums and a bundle of letters tied around the middle with a rubber band. All of them were not sent. Weird. Taking one out of the bundle, I read the person whom she intended to send it to. It read:

**Ryoma Echizen  
America**

Why was it addressed to me? The rest of the letters were also the same. At that moment, I heard Karupin jump on her mattress. She woke up, scratching Karupin's back. My old cat only purred with pleasure. She sat up and saw me. Quickly, I hid the bundle of letters behind me and acted as cool as I can.

"Ryoma-kun? Eh, I mean, Ryoma-san? What are you doing in my room?" she says, startled.  
"I was hungry."  
"Ryoma-san, there's a fridge full of food in the ki..." A look of shock flashes across her face and is quickly replaced by guilt. "Gomen! I woke up late! I'll go and make breakfast now!"  
I stood there and waited for her to get out of bed. She stared back at me.

"Ano... Ryoma-san... I have to change first. Do you mind leaving?"

_Right._

Unconsciously, I brought the bundle of letters with me, and before I could put it back, she closed the door.

Hn.

* * *

**Sakuno's POV**

I heard shuffling in my room, but still feeling tired, I simply ignored it. Karupin woke me up, though. I guess the shuffling noises was made by this little cat. I stroked Karupin's fur, and he happily purred. Then, I sat up and saw Ryoma-kun— er, Ryoma-san, I mean. I wonder what he's doing here?

"Ryoma-kun? Eh, I mean, Ryoma-san? What are you doing in my room?"  
"I was hungry," was the stoic reply.  
"Ryoma-san, there's a fridge full of food in the ki..." _AH! I WOKE UP LATE!_ "Gomen! I woke up late! I'll go and make breakfast now!"

I stared at him, waiting for him to leave. He only stared back at him.

"Ano... Ryoma-san... I have to change first. Do you mind leaving?" I said, breaking the silence. He left, without saying a word, though I did notice that he's hiding something. I dismissed it and changed quickly.

* * *

We ate breakfast in utter silence. I didn't have much of an appetite, so I just poked at my scrambled eggs and sipped coffee. Ryoma-san ate his helping quickly and locked himself in his room. (He doesn't have tennis practice today.) Once he had left, I washed the dishes and got busy with cleaning the house until lunch time.

The clock struck noon, and Ryoma-san came down to grab a bowl of ramen and a can of grape Ponta, then disappeared back in his room. I guess being an athlete doesn't mean you can't laze around all day.

* * *

**Ryoma's POV**

After breakfast, I hurried up to my room and read those letters addressed to me. If she found out I read them, it wouldn't matter, right? After all, she did write them for me.

I snatched the first one. It reads:

_Dear Ryoma-kun, _

_We're starting our second year in Seigaku now. I wonder how you're doing there in America. The senpais have now graduated, but they still visit us from time to time. Momo-chan-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai are leading the tennis club; Kaidoh-senpai became the new buchou. Horio-kun, Kachiro-kun, and Katsuo-kun are all working hard to become regulars. They're inspired by you, you know. I'm getting better at tennis. Obaa-san and my senpais tell me that my form is looking great. I practiced over the summer, and I took your advice seriously. I hope you'll come back soon, Ryoma-kun. I miss seeing you play tennis. _

_Best regards,  
Sakuno Ryuzaki_

There's no date on it (or on any of them). I just went through each and every letter randomly. Some of them didn't make sense, until I read another one. Lunch time came, and I still had ten to go. Most of them were about the tennis club. She never talks about herself, but the last letter read:

_Ryoma-kun,_

_Do you remember Kintarou Tooyama from Shintenhouji? He asked me out today. I don't know why I'm writing this down. I guess it's because he asked about you, and he calls you "Koshimae". We're going out for sweets. _

_Bye,  
Sakuno Ryuzaki_

I felt weird reading that last one. On all the other letters, this one looked the newest, so I assumed that it was the last letter she's written.

I shouldn't care, but I feel disappointed. Her other letters seemed so... sweet, I guess. Ryuzaki would always close her letters with "I miss you, Ryoma-kun." or "Come back soon.", but this one only tells me that she's going out with Kintarou. I frowned, but I don't know why. Hn.

"Ryoma-san?" Ryuzaki called out. It's six o'clock. Her voice snapped me out of this frowning. Then, an idea struck me. I hurried down the stairs and saw her putting her shoes on at the door.

"Where are you going?" I was puzzled.  
"I have classes in the evening, remember? The past couple of days were holidays, but now I'm back to school," she says, grinning.  
"Oh" was the only thing I could say.  
"Well, I made you some dinner. I'll be back in a couple of hours, Ryoma-san. Ja!" and I watch her walk off into the dark horizon.

_Too bad, _I thought. I was gonna ask her out to dinner. Maybe next time.


	8. Ch 8

**A/N:  
Surprise! Another chapter! Huzzah! Also, it was refreshing to write from Ryoma's POV. It won't happen again until after a few chapters, though. This chapter will be solely on Sakuno's perspective. My take on Ryoma feels too out of character, with him snooping around, and my language is still pretty feminine, so I must work on that. Sakuno's also regaining her old habit of calling Ryoma "Ryoma-kun", which is why she keeps saying "I mean, Ryoma-san" in the last chapter.  
Anyways, there'll be a storm of RyoSaku soon, dear readers! Sorry to keep you waiting. (If I finish this chapter by 9, I may write another chapter. We'll see!) Happy reading. ^^**

I came home at around 10 pm that night. My classes took longer tonight since somebody had injured himself while cooking, and so class was stopped for about an hour. Then, there was a lot of traffic coming home. I bet Ryoma-san is asleep already.

Quietly, I pushed open the door, careful not to wake Ryoma-kun (I've fallen back into the habit of calling Ryoma-san as "Ryoma-kun". Old habits die hard, I guess.) or Karupin. Then again, both of them are pretty heavy sleepers. The living room was dark, though I remembered leaving a note on the fridge for Ryoma-kun asking him to leave the kitchen light open for when I get home. I guess he didn't read it, or forgot. Sheesh.

Groping my way to the light switch, I noticed the sound of soft breathing in the sofa. At first, I was terrified, but then I realized that it might just be Ryoma-kun sleeping on the couch.

At last, I found the light switch. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to this sudden brightness, but once I did, I found Ryoma-kun fast asleep on the couch, but he was dressed up, like he was going to go somewhere. Or maybe he did, but he fell asleep.

I stepped closer to him and he murmured "dinner". I have to admit that he's adorable when he's asleep.

My inner voice started scolding me._ Sakuno, you don't have a crush on him again, do you?!_ _He's your boss now. Everything's different. Besides, he probably went on a date with his pretty girlfriend tonight. That's why he's dressed in a button-up shirt, right? You're so stupid sometimes, Sakuno. Geez._

He might get a cold, so I snagged the spare blanket that I had in my room. Shortly after, I found Karupin sleeping on an armchair adjacent to the couch where Ryoma was snoozing. _Heh, they're both cuter when they're asleep._

* * *

The next morning, I woke up early. There wasn't any food left in the fridge, unless grape-flavored Ponta counts as food.

I turned and bumped into him in the kitchen. He is still wearing the blue button-down shirt he was wearing last night, but it's all wrinkled in the back and the sides. His slacks are also creased. Ryoma-kun rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes using his right hand and yawned. Then, he asks, "Ryuzaki, what time did you come home?"  
"Around 10. I found you asleep on the couch," smiling to myself as the memory of a cute Ryoma-kun sleeping appeared in my mind's eye.  
"I thought you were coming home at 8. I was waiting for you to come back."

_WHAT?! Why was he waiting for me? _

He must have seen what I was thinking through my facial expression because he quickly added, "I, uh, wanted somebody to watch the house. I was gonna go out, you see."  
"Oh.. You had a date, then?" I blurted, unable to control my mouth.  
"A date? Kinda," he smirked.  
"Ah." I reply, slightly disappointed.

I then remembered about the groceries we needed. "Ah! Ryoma-san! We need groceries. All that's left in your fridge is some tofu, a couple of cold ramen leftovers, and a lot of grape Ponta."  
"We need to buy more food? Hn, I thought Oishi-senpai bought a week's worth of food," he mutters.  
"He did. It's already been a week since I started working here, Ryoma-san," I offer.  
"Okay. We'll go grocery shopping today. I'll take you out for breakfast, too, since it's your one week here. I'll get dressed and then we'll head out."  
"Hai."

* * *

I left Karupin some food and water, then Ryoma-kun and I drove off in his silver car. He seems to have a liking for silence, because that is all I heard in the car until we reached the Cherry Blossom Cafe, the place where we first met (again). He wore his white cap and pulled it down low to hide his eyes. We went into the cafe and sat at the booth farthest away from the crowd.

We ate our food silently for the first ten minutes; him, with his omurice, and I, with my waffles. A phone broke through the quietness. It was Oishi-senpai, according to Ryoma-kun.

They talked for a good five minutes or so, then Ryoma smiled at me. I almost felt myself melting like the butter on my waffles, but I was able to regain control of myself.

"Good news, Ryuzaki," he grins.  
"Hmm?"  
"Oishi-senpai and Eiji-senpai are getting married next week. They've invited us to the wedding. I hear everybody's coming."  
I was overwhelmed with joy for my two senpais. Ever since I first met the Golden Pair, I knew that somehow, they'll be together. Now, the Golden Pair will have a pair of golden rings on their fingers.  
"That's amazing, Ryoma-san!" I squeal, a little bit too loudly.

"Ryoma? As in, _Ryoma Echizen?!_" yelled a man in his mid-forties. Everybody in the cafe turned their eyes to look at us, and Ryoma-kun's face tensed. He quickly placed 2000 Yen on the table, grabbed my hand, and we bolted out of the door of the cafe. We rushed into the car and speedily drove off before the fans pressed their faces against the car windows.

"That was close," he breathed.  
"Gomennasai, Ryoma-san," I panted. I was a bit dismayed by the fact that I didn't finish my waffles, though it was my fault that we had to run anyway. Again, the air inside the car was still. We reached the grocery store, although Ryoma-san said that he'll just wait for me in the car to avoid people. I nodded and headed out.

* * *

_Bananas, check. Carrots, check. Chicken, check. Nori, check. _I went through the list once again, making sure not to forget anything on this list. I read as I pushed the cart in front of me, and then I slammed into another cart. I looked up to find Kintarou Tooyama, my ex-boyfriend (who also happens to be my first boyfriend).

"Sakuno!" he grinned, running towards me. "How have you been? What are you doing here?" Kin-chan is as enthusiastic as ever.  
"Grocery shopping," I say, pointing at the cart full of food. "I'm good, Kin-chan."  
"Sakuno, did you hear about Oishi-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai? They're getting married!" Kintarou says, jumping up and down with excitement.  
"Yeah, I did. Isn't it great?" I said almost impatiently. Don't get me wrong. I like Kintarou, but I don't want Ryoma-kun to wait.  
"Ne, Sakuno, are you going?" he asks seriously.  
"Yes, why?"  
"Would you... be my date, then?" Kintarou seemed nervous. He looked exactly like that when he first asked me out.  
"Eh, Kin-chan..." I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but honestly, I planned going by myself. Or tag along with Tomo-chan and Horio-kun. I'm sure they wouldn't mind.  
"Ryuzaki, what's taking you so long?" Ryoma-kun called behind me. Ryoma-kun stopped, seeing Kintarou. For some reason, his once playful expression turns ice cold.  
"Koshimae?! You're back!" Kintarou says, completely distracted. Ryoma-kun doesn't care, however. He remains cold and ignores Kintarou jumping around him.  
"Ryuzaki, we need to go now," Ryoma-kun orders.

Kintarou realizes that I was still there with them and turns to look at me. He asks again, now smiling, "So, Sakuno, will you be my date to Oishi-senpai and Kikumaru-senpai's wedding?"  
For a second, I thought I saw anger flicker across Ryoma-kun's face, but as he is a master of cool, calm, collected, his face returns into the statue that it was.

"Too bad, Kintarou. Sakuno's already agreed to be my date."


	9. Ch 9

**A/N:  
New chapter! More RyoSaku. I'm hoping to finish this with 12 chapters, but I might end up with 14 chapters. I don't know. Hehe. Happy reading!**

"Too bad, Kintarou. Sakuno's already agreed to be my date."

Did Ryoma Echizen, world-class tennis player, just say that I was his _date_? Did my boss just actually say that right now? _RYOMA-KUN JUST TOLD KINTAROU THAT I WAS HIS DATE. _

I felt the color out of my cheeks drain, only to be replaced by a hundred shades of red.

I was as red as the tomato sitting on top of the shopping cart. Not knowing what to do, I simply bowed my head and stood there staring at the ground. My brain flew away somewhere.

Reality caught up to me when Kintarou half-yells, "Koshimae! That's not fair! I asked her first!"  
Ryoma-kun only smirks and says, "I already told you that she said yes to me. I asked her first."  
"Stop being so mean, Koshimae!"  
"You're really annoying. Let's go, Ryuzaki." Ryoma-kun turns to leave, when Kintarou bursts out in desperation,  
"WAIT! Why don't we settle this with tennis, Koshimae?"  
"Hn?"

I see a glint in both of their eyes. _This is getting embarrassing. Two grown men in a grocery bickering over a girl? _I sigh, covering my face with my hand. There really is no stopping these two. Neither one of them want to lose. Especially in tennis.

* * *

With the grocery scene out of the way, we headed back home to drop off the groceries and for Ryoma-kun to get changed into his tennis outfit. Their match is to be held in the old street tennis court downtown at four o'clock.

As I put away the last of the grape Ponta cans in the fridge, I hear the sound of a tennis ball bouncing off against the wall. Thinking Ryoma-kun might be thirsty, I grab a couple of Ponta cans, one for him and one for me. Karupin and I headed to the source of the noise.

Ryoma-kun is practicing intensely, much more intense than the first time I've watched him practice against the wall. He's made a ball-shaped dent on the wall already, hitting the ball at the same spot with increasing power.

I kept staring with amazement at his skills. He must have realized my presence, because he stopped swinging and turned around to face me.

"Ryuzaki."  
"Ah, Ryoma-kun..."  
"... Did you just call me Ryoma-kun?"  
"No! I mean, yes! But I didn't mean it. Gomen, Ryoma-san!"

He chuckles, which is pretty strange for me to hear. Sometimes strange is good.

Ryoma-kun regains his composure; then he says, with a poker face and flirty eyes, "Ryuzaki, I think I like it better when you call me Ryoma-kun." He takes a step closer to me, and I take a small step backwards. He walks towards me a few more steps, and then I feel the cold concrete wall behind me, not realizing that I walked backwards.

_What is he doing?! _I screamed in my head. My heart is pounding in my ears, my face flushed, and my body slightly trembling from the adrenaline. He's in front of me now. His hands are pushing against the wall, and I am trapped inside them.

Ryoma-kun leans closer and closer until his nose was a millimeter away from my own.

_What is happening?! _

He snatches a can of grape Ponta from my hands (now shaking with fear and excitement), laughs and walks away.

Somehow, I feel a little disappointed by the outcome.

* * *

In the last couple of hours, I tried to convince both Ryoma-kun and Kin-chan to cancel the match. I told Ryoma-kun that it would be bad if people gathered around and found him playing street tennis and that the paparazzi will show up if they found out where he's staying. I told Kin-chan that it's been a long time since he's played tennis and that Ryoma-kun just won Wimbledon (though Kintarou is also really good at tennis). Neither side listened to me, and so four o'clock came.

Ryoma-kun, now in his tennis clothes, stretched and warmed up in the empty court. Kin-chan ran into the court hollering about "Beating Koshimae!", a wide grin plastered on his face. Behind Kintarou, the former Seigaku regulars from my freshman year strolled in. Momo-senpai flashed two thumbs up and a grin at Ryoma-kun. Shiraishi-san and Ishida-san showed up, too, but nobody else from Shitenhouji showed up to support Kintarou.

Eiji-senpai volunteered to be the judge, which is probably useful since he has the best eyesight out of everyone.

"Alright! Let the match begin! Echizen to serve," the engaged redhead announced.

Ryoma-kun did not waste time. He went straight for the Twist Serve, though Kin-chan returned it with ease. "Is that all, Koshimae?"  
Kintarou's provocation only led to Ryoma-kun knitting his brows further and hitting the return with more power.

After a long rally, Kintarou scores the first point.

Kintarou sticks out his tongue at Ryoma-kun, taunting him more. "I'll win, Sakuno, you'll see!" winking at me, who is sitting at the bleachers.

"15 all!" Eiji-senpai's voice echoes in the almost empty court.

"What? That doesn't count! I wasn't ready!" complained Kintarou. Ryoma-kun took advantage of a distracted Kin-chan.  
"Then maybe you should just be quiet," replied Ryoma-kun.  
"Hmf," pouted Kin-chan.

Kintarou won the first game.


	10. Ch 10

**A/N:  
Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! Much love. :*  
Who will win to become Sakuno's date? Happy reading ^^**

Ryoma-kun won the second game. They've started the third game half an hour ago, and the score is still 15 all. Ryoma-kun and Kin-chan have been rallying back and forth the whole time. I noticed Eiji-senpai yawning three times now. Although the match is exciting, with all their special moves and fantastic skills, the length it takes to score points waters down the excitement a lot. The only ones whose expressions remained the same since the beginning of the match were Tezuka-senpai's and Fuji-senpai's. Neither one have said a word at all.

Kintarou just returned Ryoma-kun's finishing move, the Drive B. He is leaping and soaring over the court as if he is a kangaroo, and not a human being. Ryoma-kun looks like he's gliding around in his half, using the one-footed split-step. Ryoma-kun lobs the ball, and Kin-chan starts brewing his Super Ultra Great Delicious Mountain Storm, when a speck of lightning flashes on the horizon. A real storm is brewing. Momo-senpai yells at the two, telling them to call off the game for now. Ryoma-kun and Kin-chan refused to leave the court. Momo-senpai sighed, knowing that both of them will not give up on playing. There's nothing they could do to stop them.

_You know, Sakuno, you could just tell them that you'll go alone and they don't have to play in the rain for you. _I mulled this over, but truthfully, a part of me likes the fact that two amazing tennis players are battling it out on the court just to be my date. These things never happened to me; they only happened to girls like Tomo-chan, and I guess it feels nice to be the center of attention once in a while.

"30-15!" Eiji-senpai announces. Thunder booms throughout the court.

"30-all!" It smells like earth now.

"40-30!" Grey clouds are hovering over the court, threatening to release a million droplets at any second.

"Deuce!" _Drip, drip, drip._

"Advantage, Echizen!" The rain is dropping faster.

"Deuce!" The sound of thunder pounding in my ears.

"Advantage, Kintarou!" The rain is pouring over the court.

"Game, Echizen!" It looked like the clouds were all gathered only over this tennis court, and that each raindrop felt like a thousand buckets being poured on my head. I shivered in the cold. I did not have a jacket, nor an umbrella.

I tried covering my head with my hands. Obviously, it didn't work. Then, I feel a warm cap plop down on top of my head. It was larger than my own head, and so the visor fell over my eyes, pushing it up, I saw Ryoma-kun walking away. He had given me his cap, as well as his sweater. I smiled.

Regardless of who wins today, I know who will be my date for the wedding.


	11. Ch 11

**A/N:  
Man, it's been so long since I updated! Very sorry for the long wait; I just had an English midterm. ^^" Anyways, I'll post a double chapter tonight to make it up for you guys! The fic will be done soon, and all your reviews, the followers; the favorites are all appreciated. Much love, and happy reading! :)**

"30-love!" that was the last thing I remembered Eiji-senpai call out before I passed out in the bleachers. After Ryoma-kun had given me his sweater and cap, I began to feel dizzy. A while later, I felt being scooped up by a pair of warm arms, and I nuzzled my old nose against this person's chest. Then, I sailed off to sleep, not knowing who won the match.

* * *

Karupin landed on my chest. My head feels like a box made out of lead is on top of it. My nose was stuffed, I coughed, and felt hot and cold at the same time. _Not good_, I thought. Ryoma-kun must be starving now.

As I attempted to get out of bed, I noticed a cold dampness upon my forehead. I pick off a half-wet towel off of my head. Strange.

There is somebody softly snoring in my room. With all of my strength, I managed to sit up. Ryoma-kun is sleeping on my armchair, a metallic bowl filled with water on the table beside him.

"Meow," Karupin said, hopping onto Ryoma-kun's lap. He opened his eyes and saw me looking at him.

"Ryuzaki, you're awake," he mumbles. "You fell asleep on the court yesterday."  
I couldn't form coherent thoughts and only made a small noise to signal that I understood him.  
"You're sick." He says this as he comes closer to me. His hand grazes my cheek, and then gently places it on my forehead. "Your fever's gone down, though."

Ryoma-kun hands me a bowl of soup. "You need to eat," Ryoma-kun half-orders. However, I still feel nauseous and so I shake my head.  
"I don't... feel like... eating... Ryoma-kun," I say weakly.  
He pushes the bowl closer to me.  
"Hn." I frown at him.  
Ryoma-kun sighs and picks up the spoon. He scoops up a spoonful and blows on it to cool it down, then directs it towards my mouth. Ryoma-kun's eyes are shining with concern and determination to feed me at least something.

I cave in, and swallow the spoonful of soup. It was decent, though it's obvious that it was store-bought. I only had five spoons of it before I gave up eating altogether. Ryoma-kun took a pill from a bottle and passed a cup of water to me.

The pill must have had some sort of sedative in it, because I fell asleep once again.

* * *

Ryoma-kun shakes my shoulder and says, "Ryuzaki."  
"Hn?"  
He tells me that eight hours passed, meaning I have to eat and drink my medicine again. This time, he holds a bowl of steamed rice and fried fish in his hands. This time, I was strong enough to feed myself, though I wasn't able to finish the bowl. Ryoma-kun gives me the pill and a glass of water once again. I pinched my nose this time because I didn't like the bitter aftertaste of that particular capsule.

Ryoma-kun pulls up the armchair next to my bed and places the metallic bowl filled with cold water on his lap. He dips a white towel into the bowl, squeezes some water out, and places it on my forehead. I started to doze off again, the pill working its magic, when I blurt out, "Ryoma-kun, will you stay here with me?"

He looks at me funnily, but doesn't respond. Or perhaps he does, but I was already off in my dreams before I notice.


	12. Ch 12

**A/N:  
The second chapter, as promised! Happy reading! ^^**

After yesterday's happenings, I woke up feeling refreshed. My cold is reduced to some sniffling, and my headache is completely vanished. On my left was Ryoma-kun asleep on the armchair, though his head and shoulders rested on my bedside. It took a while for me to remember why he was sleeping there, but then I realized that I was sick yesterday, and that he took care of me. I smile at his sleeping face for a while, when he begins to mutter in his sleep.

"Mmf, Karupin," he murmurs. "Don't chase Sakuno..."

My eyes widen. _He's dreaming about me? _I wondered. And he used my first name. Huh. I feel like I am intruding on something personal, and so I left the room to take a shower. Once I finished though, it dawned on me that I had forgotten my towel in the dryer. I hoped that Ryoma-kun was still asleep, so that I can tiptoe to the towel and grab it.

I open the door slowly, to check if Ryoma-kun was awake. Much to my horror, he is staring right at me. _And he was staring directly. _Although my body was hidden behind the safety of the door, my face still flushed. It's almost as if Ryoma-kun saw me naked, which of course he didn't. I hear him clear his throat outside.

"Eh, Ryoma-kun?" I stammer. "Can you um, uh, ano, hand me the towel over there, please?"  
I hear footsteps and a little knock on the bathroom door. I stick my hand out to reach for the towel. He gives me the little towel that he put on my forehead last night.

"Ryoma-kun!" I whimper. He snickers, causing me to say, "Not funny!"  
Again, I stick out my arm to reach for the towel, and this time he gives me the body-sized towel. Thankfully, I had enough mind to bring my clothes inside with me to the bathroom, and so I changed there. I stepped out wearing a white spaghetti strap top and a pair of shorts. My hair is twisted in the classic after-shower turban, and I see Ryoma-kun staring at the wall.

"Ryuzaki..." His fingers caress the red framed photograph. He turns to look at me. "You kept this photo of us?" Ryoma-kun points at the picture of us at Kawamura Sushi.  
I walk towards him, and now we are standing side by side in front of the image. "I found it in a box," I say. "You look like a pirate there, with your eye patch." I giggled at his face.  
"Heh. I beat Shinji Ibu that day."

He gazes at me, with his golden eyes looking even more golden now. I stared only at his eyes, and didn't observe the fact that the rest of his face was coming closer to mine until he closed those starry spheres. Then, I found myself closing my own eyes.

_And then we kissed._

His lips were warm and soft against mine, never pressing with any force, though it was the most passionate kiss I've ever received. We pulled away, breathing and staring at one another.

I broke the silence. "Ryoma-kun..."

A doorbell rang somewhere downstairs, and he held my hand as we walked downstairs to answer it. I see Kintarou grinning wildly and jumping about. His expression turned sour when he saw my hands intertwined with Ryoma-kun's, but the only thing on my mind right now is the reason why Kintarou is here.


	13. Ch 13

**A/N:  
I'm so close to finishing this story! Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. You guys are great. As well, I sincerely apologize for the delayed updates. Happy reading! ^^**

_**Ryoma's POV**_

Ryuzaki opened the door, and who else was standing there at the door? Kintarou, the annoying one. With Ryuzaki being sick, I never got around to telling her about who won the match. And, even though she's alright now, I didn't want to tell her who won that night.

Or rather, who forfeited that night.

I cleared my throat. "Kintarou... What are you doing here?" I ask, my voice strained.  
"Whaddya mean, Koshimae? Obviously, I'm here to ask Sakuno-chan what she's going to wear for the senpais' wedding."  
"Eh, Kin-chan... What are you talking about?" Ryuzaki says puzzled. My grip on her hand tightens a little.  
"Sakuno-chan... Ryoma didn't tell you?" Kintarou's face turns serious. "He forfeited the match. I won. I'm going to be your date." He grins at her, like he's won a cheap trophy or something, and not Ryuzaki. _My _Ryuzaki.

Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.

I never wanted her to find out about me forfeiting. To be honest, it's an ego thing. Not to brag, but I rarely ever forfeit a match. I think I did once, but I don't remember.

Ryuzaki turns around to face me, confusion etched on her face. "Ryoma-kun?" she whispers quietly. And now, I am forced to explain myself thoroughly.

* * *

_The rain was pouring heavily over the court. From Ryoma's peripheral vision, he sees Sakuno slumping on the bleachers, wearing his hat and jacket. He thought that she was simply dozing off. Because now that she is asleep, Ryoma chooses to stop fooling around. His focus is only on his opponent: Kintarou, once hailed as The Super Rookie of the West. Ryoma is finally serious. He no longer has to show off for Sakuno and keep the game interesting. A game passes, which he wins with ease. The fifth game ends with a score of 40-love and the slack-jawed faces of everybody (even Kintarou), except Fuji and Tezuka. Ryoma smirked. He figured that the two knew from the very start that he wasn't being serious, and that he was only showing off for the girl with the twin braids. He smiles and looks at her, but he realized that it's still raining heavily, and she's still asleep. It looked like she wasn't moving at all. _

_With worry written all over his face, he runs to her, jumping over three rows of bleachers to get to where she was. Ryoma lifted her chin up, and was relieved to find that his precious Ryuzaki is still alive and breathing. However, he did notice that her face is flushed and that she was warm. It then occurred him that Sakuno has a fever. _

_And at that moment, Ryoma found something he loved more than tennis. Without hesitation, Ryoma ran to Eiji and asked to forfeit the match. He was surprised to find that Eiji and his other senpais did not question why he forfeited the match. He runs off and carries Sakuno to his car. Ryoma drove her home as quickly as he can, and called Tomoka to dress Sakuno (because he didn't want Sakuno to believe he was a pervert) in dry pajamas once they got home. (Tomoka almost woke Sakuno up with her screaming when she found out that Sakuno works for Ryoma.) Tomoka leaves quickly, giggling for some reason and muttering all to herself as she left the Echizen residence. _

_The thought of forfeiting never crossed Ryoma's mind until he had taken a shower himself. Not a single bone in his body regretted the decision of dropping the match for Sakuno's sake, except for the fact that this defeat means Kintarou and Sakuno will go to the wedding together. That was the only pang of losing to Kintarou. Ryoma knew that he could have ended the match with just one more game (the score was 6-5), but for some reason, Sakuno came first. As he rinsed away the last frothy foam away from his hair, Ryoma heard a soft murmuring out of the bathroom door (he used Sakuno's bathroom), he knew that Sakuno, the prince of tennis' princess, is awakening._

* * *

___**Sakuno's POV**_

Ryoma sighed. "And that's the story."

I stared in wonderment. A world-class tennis player dropped a match because I was sick. And he was so close to winning. I almost burst out screaming why in the universe would he even do that, especially if he was close to winning. After all, I was already sick. A few more minutes in the rain wouldn't have made a difference. But then, I remembered what I had thought during the match. I decided on my date already, win or lose.

"Kintarou... I'm afraid that I already have a date." I say as sternly as I can.  
"What? Are you serious?" he storms. "I won that match fair and square!"  
"Maybe the tennis match, Kintarou, but not my heart. Ryoma-kun won my heart fair and square. He gave me his jacket and his cap because he saw I was cold. He forfeited a match because I had a fever, for goodness' sake! He took care of me when I was sick, and... And..." I stuttered at this last bit.  
"And what, Sakuno-chan?" Kintarou yells infuriatedly.  
"And... I'm sorry, Kintarou."

With that, I closed the door behind me.

* * *

**A/N:  
To Slam'in Burst: You're right. Kin-chan (kinda) won. :)**


End file.
